Furious Dragons demand please explain from NRL over Storm's after the siren try

St George Illawarra have asked the NRL for an explanation after Melbourne were allowed to score a match-winning try on Monday night after the siren.

The Dragons are fuming with the match officials after the Storm were allowed to play the ball after the siren had sounded, allowing them to snatch an incredible come-from-behind 28-24 victory at AAMI Park.

Time out ... the clock shows 80 minutes before Melbourne's Young Tonumaipea plays the ball on the final play. Photo: FoxSports

The NRL rules state that end of play is to be called "If time expires in either half when the ball is out of play or a player in possession has been tackled and the ball has not been played the referee shall immediately blow his whistle to terminate play".

Dragons coach Steve Price was left fuming when he arrived from Melbourne on Tuesday morning.

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"We are waiting for a response from the NRL," Price said. "We put a case forward to the NRL. We are waiting on clarification. I've watched it a number of times after the game. My coaching staff and all my players feel that ball hadn't been played before the siren had gone."

Replay of the final seconds of the match show that Storm winger Young Tonumaipea had not placed his foot on the ball before the siren sounded, with the clock on the television broadcast expiring a few seconds before he was even tackled.

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The Storm then retained possession from a cross-field kick, keeping it alive until the ball eventually ended up back in the hands of Tonumaipea, who crossed in the corner to seal a controversial victory.

"We were courageous tonight but the footy gods weren't on our side," Price said after the game.

Young Tonumaipea of the Storm is congratulated by team mates after his match-winner. Photo: Getty Images

It isn't the first time the siren has caused controversy in the NRL this season.

Only a fortnight ago Tigers skipper Robbie Farah blew up at the match officials after Manly were allowed to score a try after the half time siren had sounded.

That came a week after the Warriors were also allowed to play the ball after the siren in a game against the Tigers in Wellington, in which they also scored.

Farah said it wasn't long before a blunder would cost a team two premiership points, which it did on Monday night.

"They can't just keep coming up with those errors week in, week out," Farah said in the post-match press conference after the win against Manly.

"They've got to be better. We were lucky today that it didn't cost us but it's going to cost a team a big game. It's just not good enough, they just have got to be better. Not hearing it is not a good enough excuse."

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said "I thought it was touch and go, it was pretty close".

To rub salt into the wound of the gallant Dragons, they played the final 90 seconds with 12 men.

Back-rower Joel Thompson had been taken from the field mid-way through the second half for a concussion test, and under the new NRL rules the Dragons are allowed a free interchange if Thompson was to return within 15 minutes.

However Thompson was unable to make it back on the field and the Dragons had used up all of their 10 interchanges.

It meant Thompson's replacement had to be taken from the field with just over a minute remaining, which Price later described as "gut-wrenching".